


She's My Baby

by inlovewithimpossibility



Category: Glee
Genre: Dom/sub, F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-28
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-05-23 19:32:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6127759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inlovewithimpossibility/pseuds/inlovewithimpossibility
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shelby didn't want to give up her baby but her scheming father stepped in. Now, 15 years later, after her father's death, Shelby finds herself seeking out the baby she gave up. But her baby girl is no longer a baby and having grown up in the Dominant/Submissive community of Lima, Ohio, there's another obstacle Shelby has to face. Rachel's dominant, Quinn Fabray, who won't let anything bad happen to her princess.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hi, I'm Your Mom

Rachel Berry was a submissive.

She was also adopted, loud, extremely talented and had a flair for the overdramatic but in the community of Lima, Ohio her defining trait was her submissiveness. Many communities across America adopted the lifestyle when population levels began to fall. This ensured that children were born and raised with a wonderful example to follow in the form of their parents.

The test was taken at the age of five and was completely harmless. A few questions and a DNA sample were taken from each child and by the age of eight, every child had a soul mate and a position. For Rachel, she was a submissive and her soul mate was Quinn Fabray.

The first time she’d met Quinn was the day after her results came back. Her fathers had contacted the Fabrays and arranged a meeting between the two girls. Quinn was pretty, that was the first thing Rachel noticed about her. She was pretty and she was sweet.

“Hi, I’m Quinn. Don’t worry; I’m not going to hurt you. I’m never going to hurt you.”

Those were the first words Quinn Fabray said to Rachel Berry and she stuck by those words as the two girls grew together. Friendship and a fierce protectiveness of each other developed into a relationship with the typical undertones of every relationship in the town.

It was one day at lunch when they were 14 that Quinn realized her relationship with Rachel was slightly different to the others in her grade.

“Hi Quinn!” Rachel grinned, skipping over to the table where her soul mate was sat with their friends.

“Hi Princess, how were your morning classes?” Quinn chuckled, pulling the little brunette onto her lap.

“They were fantastic. Math was slightly boring but Introduction to Submission was very informative.” Rachel blushed, smiling at her soul mate. “How were your classes?”

“Same old, same old, really. I was waiting all morning to get to see my favorite girl.” The blonde grinned and kissed Rachel’s blushing cheek.

“Thank you Quinn. I’ll go get our lunches now.” Rachel grinned and left her bag before skipping towards the lunch line.

“You’re way too soft on her.” Santana said from next to Quinn. The blonde turned to see her best friend kneeling on the floor by her dominant, her head comfortably laid in Brittany’s lap.

“Shut up San, as if Brittany isn’t soft on you. She lets you get away with things that I definitely would’ve put Rachel over my lap for.” Quinn rolled her eyes as the Latina chuckled.

“Despite the fact that you’re not allowed to do that yet. Not until after the Claiming Ceremony.” Mercedes spoke up from across the table, her eyes concentrated on Sam in the lunch line.

“I meant in the future ‘Cedes, calm down.” Quinn chuckled, waving back when Rachel caught her attention.

“All I’m saying is Rachel’s gonna have a huge attitude problem after the ceremony if you don’t start training her properly now. I mean, you don’t even make her kneel for you half the time.” Santana piped up again.

“Who says I’m gonna make her kneel for me all the time after the ceremony? Anyway, she does it when I ask. I just don’t want her to be uncomfortable.” Quinn shrugged picking at her nails as the conversation made her rather uncomfortable herself.

“I would be uncomfortable any day if it pleased Blaine.” Kurt spoke up from his position by Blaine’s feet.

“And I don’t think that’s healthy.” Quinn retaliated, growing annoyed. “Rachel’s my submissive and I’ll deal with her my way. So shut up, the lot of you.”

Quinn was confident that her dominance over Rachel was just right over the next year. Sure, her princess could be a brat but she was always sincerely apologetic when she made mistakes (she broke down into fits of tears most of the time when she realized) and did exactly as Quinn told her, most of the time.

The Claiming Ceremony took place the day after Rachel’s fifteenth birthday. It was a cold day in December and both were dressed in bright dresses, as was customary for the ceremony. Quinn had opted for her favorite yellow sundress whereas Rachel was looking pretty in pink.

“We’re so proud of you Quinnie.” Her mother had grinned, brushing Quinn’s blonde locks the morning of the ceremony.

“Mom! Stop!” Quinn chuckled, blushing bright red.

“Never!” Judy joked and hugged her baby girl close. “I love you Quinnie.”

“I love you too Mom and thank you, for everything.” The blondes shared a grin before Judy wiped her tears and pulled back.

“I love you Quinn and I am so proud of the young woman you’ve become.” Her father spoke next, running a thumb over his daughter’s cheek.

“I love you too Daddy and it’s because of you so thank you.” She said sincerely and hugged her father close.

“You ready for this Q?” Frannie asked, smiling sweetly from the door. The blonde nodded at her sister and the family made their way into the ceremony room. Quinn took her place at the front of the room whilst her family filed into the seating on the right hand side.

“Hi Quinn.” Ms Sylvester, Quinn’s cheerleading coach but also Head of Ceremonies in Lima, smiled at her student.

“Hey Coach.” Quinn replied nervously, looking at the pillow in front of her feet where she knew Rachel would soon be kneeling.

“It’s okay to be nervous.” Sue grinned and Quinn nodded, turning to face the doors as music began to play.

Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at her princess, the girl she was destined to be with. Her soul mate. Rachel was stunning, absolutely radiant in her pink dress as she made her way towards Quinn. The tradition of the father walking the bride down the aisle had been lost throughout the change of community so she was alone, holding two small boxes. One was slightly larger than the other but they both held the promise of forever.

Quinn could tell that Rachel was nervous from the way her hands were trembling as she placed the boxes on the small table between them and Ms Sylvester but when their eyes met, Rachel visibly relaxed and gave Quinn a smile which was happily reciprocated.

“Welcome everyone. We are here today to celebrate the claim Quinn Fabray is taking on Rachel Berry. Our tests have ensured that these two are perfectly matched for each other but past that, there is obvious love between these two and that is exactly what our society needs. Quinn and Rachel have decided to keep this short so we shall proceed to the claiming. Miss Berry, if you would please.” Ms Sylvester smiled at the both of them and gestured to the slightly smaller box. Rachel opened it and removed the delicate bracelet from the box before kneeling on the cushion.

“Quinn, I knew what love looked like before I met you. My fathers love each other with every fiber of their being and all I ever wanted was to experience that myself. I was terrified when I first met you because I’d built this idea of a perfect life up in my head and I was worried that my expectations weren’t going to be met. But then you walked into my backyard and I knew in that moment, everything was going to be okay. I don’t need a perfect life because I have you. I know now that love is so much more than what I thought it was when I was eight. Love is messy. It’s cruel but it’s also perfect if you share it with the perfect person. You are my perfect person Quinn, my perfect Miss.” Rachel grinned with tears running down her face. As she finished speaking, she clasped the bracelet around Quinn’s wrist and the two girls grinned at each other as they saw the sun charm next to the R. Rachel had once told Quinn that she felt like Quinn was her sunshine and Quinn had agreed that she loved the comparison.

“Quinn?” Ms Sylvester smiled at the two girls, prompting Quinn to begin her speech. The blonde opened the other box and removed the necklace from it, smiling down at her beautiful princess.

“Rachel, I never thought that I could love someone as much as I love you. My daddy once told me the most important thing a dominant can feel is love and that you must let love consume you over any other emotion. I never truly understood why he thought that was so important until we reached a stage in our relationship when I realized that he was completely right. I love you so much Princess. You’re a brat and cheeky and obnoxious and downright aggravating sometimes but I love you with everything I can. I love you to the farthest reaches of our galaxy and back. You’re my good girl, my little one, my Princess, my star.” Quinn grinned and she slipped the necklace around Rachel’s throat, clasping it and using the small key to lock it into place. Rachel grinned as she looked at the small charm Quinn had added, a little gold star.

Yep, everything was perfect. Neither could have imagined that just six months later, everything was going to get overturned.

Shelby Corcoran was Rachel’s birth mother and had been just fifteen when she found herself pregnant. Her father had insisted that she either have an abortion or give the child up and Shelby opted for the latter, not wanting to harm an innocent life. What she hadn’t anticipated was the emotional pain that would follow. She was from Indiana, one of the few states that had not adopted the new lifestyle and therefore, she’d never really been exposed to it.

That was until she found herself in the middle of Lima, Ohio. Her father had arranged the adoption and had excluded Shelby from everything so it wasn’t until his death the year before that Shelby even knew where her baby girl was. It was fifteen years after Shelby gave her up but she needed to know. She needed to meet her baby and know that she was alright.

Lima was scary. That was the conclusion that Shelby came to as she drove through the streets of the small town. She just saw a _person_ being walked on a leash and everyone else was acting as if it were an ordinary occurrence.

The address she’d found on the form lead her to the nice side of town. Big houses with white picket fences and Shelby’s spirits started to rise. Surely her baby would be happy if she’d been raised in such a beautiful neighborhood.

There was no one at the house so Shelby set up camp in the porch until a black car pulled into the driveway. One man exited the car and rushed to open the door for another who smiled at him gratefully.

“Hello?” The second man called, obviously talking to Shelby.

“Oh um hi.” She stood and waved pathetically.

“Shelby?” The first man asked, gasping as he stared at her.

“That’s me. I’m assuming you’ve seen pictures.” She smiled and the first man nodded, extending his hand.

“Hi, I’m Hiram; it’s so nice to finally meet you.” He smiled and shook Shelby’s hand, grinning widely.

“Hiram, go inside and make some coffee please.” The second man stated and Hiram nodded, rushing inside with a “Yes sir”.

“You must be Leroy.” Shelby stated as he made his way over.

“I am indeed. Why are you here Shelby? The adoption is a closed one and Rachel is not yet eighteen.” Leroy stated, fierce despite his short stature.

“R-Rachel? Is that her name?” Shelby asked, tears coming to her eyes. “Please, just let me explain.”

“I was always going to, come inside. You drink coffee?” He smiled and his demeanor changed as he led her inside.

Over the beverage Shelby explained everything from the mistaken pregnancy to her father’s death.

“Oh my goodness! That’s awful!” Hiram exclaimed, his eyes wide as he imagined anyone going through that. Leroy chuckled, it was obvious who their daughter got her flair for the dramatic from, and rubbed his husband’s shoulder in an attempt to calm him down.

“I completely agree and I’m so sorry that you had to go through that.” Leroy smiled sympathetically at the woman.

“It happened a long time ago. To be honest, I just want to know that Rachel’s okay.” She said sadly, smiling back. She was rather uncomfortable with the way that Hiram was kneeling at Leroy’s feet but there was no way that she could tell someone else how to act in their own home.

“Here.” Hiram grinned and handed his phone to Shelby. She looked down and saw that it was open on his pictures. More specifically, it was open on a folder of his pictures entitled ‘Baby Girl’. Shelby grinned and felt tears prick her eyes as she scanned through the many pictures of the stunning brunette. There were pictures of her as a child all the way through to one with a date of last week. There was a blonde girl pictured with Rachel frequently throughout the years and Shelby wondered if that was Rachel’s partner. She’d read up on the society before she came and she knew that they started them very young in Lima.

“She’s beautiful.” Shelby grinned as she continued to stare at the phone. With long brunette hair, wide shining brown eyes and a smile that spread across her whole face, Rachel Berry was very nearly Shelby’s clone. “Who’s the blonde girl?”

“The reason we’re a bit skeptical about you meeting Rachel.” Leroy answered honestly.

“She’s Rachel’s submissive?” Shelby questioned and frowned when the two men looked at each other.

“No. She’s Rachel’s dominant.” Hiram explained, smiling nervously at Shelby.

“Oh.” Shelby said, not really knowing what else to say.

“Listen, we need to talk to Rachel about everything. So, why don’t you stick around for a couple of days, if you can?” Leroy asked, looking nervously at the birth mother of his precious daughter. He hoped this was the right move.

“Uh sure. Is there a hotel around here?” She asked, growing nervous now that she may actually meet said daughter.

“Yeah there is. If you head back towards the centre of town, did you see the mall on the way in? It’s just down the road from there.” Hiram smiled when Shelby indicated that she had indeed seen the mall.

“Okay, thank you. Here’s my number so just let me know?” She asked, standing up.

“Of course.” Leroy smiled and gestured to Hiram for him to see Shelby out. “Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

Shelby drove back to the middle of town and found the hotel easily, settling into her room. She called her work and booked the week off before heading into the mall to get some more clothes.

Meanwhile, Rachel was in her favorite class of the day. Glee. Not only could she express her love of the arts but it was also the only class she shared with Miss. She loved being able to look over and just smile at her or even gain reassurance from the one person she knew would always give it. Like now, all she wanted to do was change the lines and no one was listening to her. But one look at Miss and her beautiful smile was all she needed to continue fighting her case. Miss really was stunning.

She couldn’t let herself get distracted though, they had their showcase coming up tomorrow and it was important. They needed to express their talent before regionals after the total flop last year. I mean third, really?

“Fabray! Get your submissive under control!” Santana called out, groaning as Brittany slapped her lightly on the arm. “Mistress, that hurt!”

“Good. We’ve talked about your mouth before Santana.” Brittany replied, leveling Santana with a glare.

“Anyway Santana, what’s so wrong with Rachel’s idea?” Quinn piped up, moving to grasp her princess’ hand.

“Um well… You see…” The Latina stuttered, running a hand nervously through her hair. “It’s too close to the performance!”

“Are you saying that you can’t adapt to change?” Quinn asked, raising the infamous Fabray eyebrow.

“Watch it Quinn.” Brittany stepped in, holding Santana close to her.

“Alright, everyone calm down. Take a break and we’ll resume in ten minutes to change the lines.” Mr. Schue stepped in, diffusing the situation.

“Ugh! He always chooses her side!” Santana huffed, heading towards the seats to grab her water bottle and Brittany followed, a lecture about being a brat on the tip of her tongue.

“He chooses my side because I’m right Satan!” Rachel retaliated, sticking her tongue out before pouting as Quinn cleared her throat.

“Do _we_ need to talk about being a brat again Princess?” Quinn smirked, raising her eyebrow again.

“No, Miss. I’m sorry.” Rachel sighed, visibly relaxing.

“Good girl. Come here.” Quinn smiled and pulled her little submissive into her arms, rubbing her back gently. “You don’t need to worry. We’re going to be amazing. You know why?”

“Why?” Rachel asked, snuggling closer to her dominant.

“Because we’ve got you as our lead, my little star.” Quinn grinned, kissing dark brown locks.

“You make a good point.” Rachel giggled, moving from Quinn’s arms to sit on the piano.

“Watch it baby, don’t get too cocky.” The blonde giggled as well, moving to stand in between Rachel’s legs.

“Mm, I love you Miss.” The brunette relaxed happily into Quinn’s arms again.

“I love you too Princess.” The blonde smiled, leaning down to peck Rachel’s lips. They continued to share little kisses, giggling throughout until Quinn’s phone buzzed from where she’d placed it on the piano next to Rachel.

“Who is it?” Rachel asked as her dominant frowned reading the text.

“Your Papa, he said that he and your Daddy need to talk to us about something important and could we swing by after school?” Quinn relayed the text as she typed back an affirmative answer.

“Hmm, I wonder what that could be about.” Rachel said, frowning.

“Hey, we’ll find out later. Don’t let it worry you now.” The blonde smiled, running her thumb over the creases in Rachel’s forehead.

“Yes Miss.” Rachel chuckled and grinned as Quinn kissed her forehead.

Everyone was far more cooperative for the rest of Glee and they felt like they were truly ready for their performance the next day when Rachel and Quinn pulled into her fathers’ drive after rehearsals.

“Songbird!” Hiram exclaimed when he opened the door and Rachel grinned, launching herself into his arms.

“Hi Daddy!” She grinned and hugged him tight before dancing down the hallway. “Is Papa in the kitchen?”

“Yes sweetie. Hi Quinn.” He grinned at his daughter’s dominant who chuckled but also hugged him tightly in greeting.

“Hi H, how are you?” She asked, entering the house and closing the door behind her.

“Good, I’m good.” The tall man grinned and winked, causing Quinn to laugh.

“Miss, Papa says he won’t tell me this news unless you’re in here!” Rachel’s voice came from the kitchen and Quinn laughed, raising an eyebrow as she entered the room.

“So you couldn’t wait two seconds for me to enter the room Princess? We’ve talked about impatience.” The blonde chuckled as Rachel deflated slightly.

“Sorry Miss.” The brunette sighed, looking down at her hands.

“Good girl. I know you’re just excited.” Quinn smiled, kissing her forehead before greeting Leroy. “How are you Mr. Berry?” She grinned and hugged him.

“I’d be much better if you didn’t insist on calling me Mr. Berry.” He chuckled and hugged Quinn tight.

“Sorry, you know it’s old habits. So, what’s all this about important things to tell us?” The blonde asked as she sat down at the kitchen table and Rachel slid into her lap. They’d agreed that it would feel weird for both of them if Rachel knelt in her fathers’ home so they’d settled upon the arrangement of her on Quinn’s lap.

“When we arrived home today, there was a woman on the porch. I recognized her immediately. Rachel, she’s your mother.” Leroy said breaking the news and watching the shock flick across the faces of both girls.

“My mother? I don’t understand.” Rachel said as a frown came across her face.

“Sweetheart, you know you’re adopted.” Hiram spoke up, reaching out a hand towards his daughter but was shunned away.

“Well of course I know I’m adopted Daddy, what I don’t understand is what she’s doing here. She gave me up. What? Does she all of a sudden give a crap about me?” Rachel lamented, standing up from Quinn’s lap and moving to pace in front of the group.

“Rachel.” Leroy said as a warning and looked at Quinn who nodded.

“No Papa, don’t Rachel me! What the fuck does she even want? Were you stupid enough to let her into the house? She’s probably just after money.” The brunette cried.

“Rachel!” The angry girl’s eyes snapped to Quinn’s. “Corner now.”

“But…”

“No buts, you disrespected your father and used bad language. Corner now. Two minutes.” The blonde said sternly, her infamous eyebrow raised.

“I’m allowed to be upset about this!” Rachel retaliated.

“Yes you are but that doesn’t excuse the lack of respect or the language. Don’t make me say it again Princess.” Quinn pushed until Rachel moved to the corner with a huff. “Good girl.”

Leroy gave Quinn a grateful smile and nudged Hiram who went to make drinks. Whilst they were waiting for Rachel’s corner time to be up, Leroy told Quinn about his newest client at work. A submissive that had been through years of abuse and was trying to break her contract from her master.

“Oh that’s awful!” Quinn exclaimed and glanced at the clock. “Alright little one, time’s up.”

There was a blur as Rachel rushed into Quinn’s arms. The blonde actually stumbled slightly with the force at which Rachel flew into her arms but she soon corrected herself and held the tiny submissive tightly.

“I’m sorry Miss.” Rachel said into Quinn’s collarbone, not wanting to remove herself from the safe feeling of her Miss’ arms.

“What are you sorry for Princess?” Quinn asked, raising Rachel’s chin so that she was looking at her.

“For being rude and using bad language.” Rachel stated, biting her lip.

“Good girl. Now say sorry to your father and all is forgiven.”

“Sorry Papa.” Rachel said, looking at her father who smiled warmly at her.

“It’s all alright sweetie.” Leroy grinned, his love for his little girl shining through his eyes.

“You’re not angry anymore?” Rachel asked, her eyes back on Quinn.

“I was never angry little one. But everything’s forgiven now, we can look past it.” The blonde smiled and kissed Rachel’s forehead. The brunette nodded and snuggled closer to her dominant, seeking the comfort that was always given. Sure enough, Quinn’s hands rubbed circles over Rachel’s back and her fingers brushed through her long hair causing Rachel to relax into her arms.

Hiram returned with the drinks and everyone settled down as Leroy told the girls the story they’d heard from Shelby.

“She’s sticking around for a couple of days and I said we’d let her know if you wanted to meet her but you don’t have to do anything. You understand that right?” Leroy asked, looking at his baby girl.

“I understand Papa. I think… I wanna meet her.” Rachel nodded, still holding Quinn close.

“Alright, baby girl. Then we’ll set something up.” Hiram smiled warmly at his daughter.

“Why doesn’t she come tomorrow and you can talk to her afterwards?” Leroy suggested and Rachel nodded, looking at Quinn for approval who nodded too.

“If it’ll make you happy Princess.” She smiled and kissed her submissive on the forehead.

“Can we go home and binge watch Idol?” The brunette asked, her eyes lighting up. The other three chuckled but Quinn nodded, holding her princess close.

“Of course.” She chuckled and they said goodbye to Rachel’s parents before heading back to their own apartment.

Leroy texted Shelby to let her know what was going on and where to meet the next day. Shelby grinned as the text came through; she was going to meet her baby.

William McKinley looked like any other high school and Shelby took comfort in the familiarity of it all.

“Shelby! Hi!” Hiram caught her attention as she looked around the front of the school.

“Oh hey!” She grinned and made her way over, shaking their hands again.

“Come on, there’s five minutes until the curtain rises and Rachel will kill us if we miss her opening note.” Leroy joked and they all headed inside to the auditorium which was mostly full of parents and the odd few students.

“Leroy! Hiram! So nice of you to make it.” A curly haired man greeted them as they entered, smiling widely.

“You know we wouldn’t miss it.” Leroy smiled and shook the man’s hand.

“Hi. I’m William Schuester. I teach Spanish and Glee here at McKinley.” Mr. Schue smiled, extending his hand towards Shelby who smiled and took it.

“Hi. I’m Shelby Corcoran.” She said simply, looking at Rachel’s fathers as she wondered whether she should say more.

“She’s Rachel’s birth mother.” Leroy explained and the shock was evident on the teacher’s face.

“Well, pleasure to meet you. Emma, show the Berrys and Miss Corcoran to their seats. They’re by the Fabrays.” The teacher said as he turned to a redhead who Shelby hadn’t even noticed was by his side.

“Yes Sir.” She nodded and led them towards where a couple was sitting; their heads close together as they conversed. They looked up as the group approached and the man stood up, a wide grin on his face.

“Leroy!” He boomed and pulled the man into a hug. “How are you?”

The two men began to talk and the woman stood up to greet Hiram. “Oh you must be Shelby; it’s a pleasure to meet you.” She smiled and Shelby smiled, shaking her extended hand.

“Likewise.”

“Here, come sit next to me. The show’s about to start.”

They all settled into their seats as the curtain rose and Rachel stepped into the spotlight with a tall boy.

“Hello everyone and welcome.” The boy said, shifting awkwardly on his feet.

“We’d like to thank you all for coming and we hope that you enjoy our showcase. There are donation buckets at the end of your rows if you would feel so inclined to give a little towards helping the arts thrive here at McKinley. Thank you.” Rachel smiled a wide grin and the two left the stage.

The routines went from high energy to slow and captivating and Shelby had to admit, she was impressed. Rachel sang like an absolute angel but the entire club projected a wall of sound which held high hopes for the future of every child in the club.

After the performance, the kids all rushed towards their parents, talking excitedly about what had just occurred and their anticipation of the competitions to come. Rachel was scooped up by not only her fathers but the Fabrays as well who boasted of both their blonde daughter’s and Rachel exceptional talent.

“Alright, we’re taking Leroy and Hiram out for a drink so we can wallow in distress over how grown up the two of you are already.” Mr. Fabray laughed and kissed his blonde daughter’s cheek, hugging her tightly.

“I’m so proud of you sweetheart. Proud of you both.” Mrs. Fabray joined in, pulling her daughter and Rachel into a hug.

“We’ll see you soon.” Leroy smiled and they all got in one last hug before leaving the auditorium to talk to Mr. Schuester.

“Um, I’m going to go and get changed. I’ll be right back.” Rachel sat awkwardly and rushed off, with the blonde hot on her heels.

Shelby sat back down in the seat she’d occupied and waited until Rachel came back out from the backstage area, dressed in a sweater and a skirt. She awkwardly sat down in the row in front of Shelby, not wanting to be the first to strike up conversation.

The mother and daughter sat in the chairs of the auditorium, both facing forward and neither talking. Rachel wished that Miss was with her. She wished that she had Miss holding her hand, telling her that it was all going to be alright. But she didn’t, she was alone with her mother and for the first time since the claiming ceremony, she was scared.

Realistically she knew that Miss was just outside waiting for her. Miss had promised that she’d never leave her alone and Rachel believed her, she trusted Miss because Miss made her feel comfortable and loved, so very loved.

“So, you’ve been claimed, is that what they call it?” Shelby spoke and Rachel jumped at the sudden noise pulling her from her thoughts.

“Yes, it’s called claiming and yes, I have been claimed.” Rachel replied, keeping her head down. She realized that to Shelby this would probably come across as rude and disrespectful but Rachel found power in her submission, she was comfortable.

“By whom?” The older woman asked and Rachel smiled, she could talk about Miss all day.

“Miss’ name is Quinn, Quinn Fabray and she’s just wonderful.” Rachel grinned, her hand coming up to fiddle with her necklace, her mark of submission.

“She treats you well I hope?” Shelby implored and Rachel chuckled.

“Very well, Miss makes me feel safe and loved like nobody else has before.” The younger brunette grinned as that warm feeling overcame her.

“I didn’t want to give you away, I hope you understand that.” The sudden change in conversation made Rachel freeze and she stiffened, upset that the warm feeling left her suddenly.

“I could lie and say I do but honestly I don’t. I felt selfish wishing to know you when I have the most amazing parents anyone could ever ask for. Papa and Daddy gave me everything but there was always something missing. I find it difficult to empathize and take others’ feelings into account. No matter how good my intentions are, I always make a mistake.” She sighed and looked at her hands, feeling tears come to her eyes.

“And you blame that on m-me?” Shelby asked, her voice trembling as she looked at her daughter.

“Well of course, without a woman’s presence I wasn’t shown the way in which a woman is expected to act and react around others. I can be rather abrasive and people often say I’m rather self-absorbed.” She shrugged, frowning as tears appeared in Shelby’s eyes.

“Oh… Well… I’m sorry?” The older woman said, trying to keep her tears at bay as she watched the teenager wrestle with herself. Here was an older woman who she knew she was supposed to pay respect to. But at the same time, Shelby wasn’t part of their society and wasn’t submissive or dominant so Rachel was having a hard time figuring out how to address her, especially as this was a woman who had caused her a lot of pain in her life. Miss always said that if someone hurts you, it’s alright to stand up for yourself, no matter who they are.

“Oh no, I did it again didn’t I?” Rachel gasped, realizing her lack of empathy towards the situation. She curled into herself, and hugged her knees to her chest, letting the tears fall.

“Rachel? Hey it’s okay.” Shelby said and touched the girl’s shoulder but Rachel only jumped and retreated further into herself.

“No, no, no, no. Stupid girl, stupid girl. Bad, bad, bad. Miss will be mad.” Rachel began to recite, the words rolling off her tongue again and again.

“Rachel?” A blonde head appeared around the entrance to the auditorium and before Shelby knew it, she was in front of Rachel’s chair, bending down. “What happened?”

Shelby realized that the blonde was addressing her and she felt almost scared as she looked into the protective, angry eyes of who Shelby assumed was Quinn. She relayed the situation to the blonde who took a deep breath and turned to face her submissive.

“Rachel? Princess? It’s just me, it’s Quinn, alright? Look at me little one, please.” Nothing seemed to be working and Quinn knew what she had to do to get Rachel to snap out of it. She took a tentative look at Shelby, not sure how she was going to react to the dynamic before remembering that Rachel was far more important and raising her hand to snap her fingers.

Her fingers hadn’t even separated when Rachel’s eyes snapped up to meet her Miss’. _Miss_ , she was there and Rachel straightened herself out, attempting to fall to her knees.

“Whoa Princess, don’t worry about that. I think we’ve shown Shelby enough, hey?” Quinn chuckled and pulled Rachel into her arms tightly.

“Miss?” Rachel asked, leaning her head against her dominant’s chest.

“What’s up little one?” Quinn asked, smoothing a hand over long brunette locks.

“I was a bad girl, I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry.” Rachel cried, turning into her Miss as the tears fell fresh again.

“Hey, hey.” Quinn said, lifting Rachel’s head. “We’ve been through this. You are not bad, never bad. You can be a brat and you’re naughty sometimes but never, ever bad, okay? You’re such a good girl, my very good girl alright?”

Rachel nodded and relaxed into Quinn, finding warmth and love in her embrace. Shelby stayed in her seat awkwardly watching the pair. The scene in front of her confirmed what she had feared when she began this search. Rachel was all grown up now, she didn’t need her mother.

“Sorry, it’s been a long day.” Shelby realized that Quinn was talking to her and she faced the teenager.

“I understand.” The older woman nodded, watching the way her daughter clung to this girl as if she needed her to survive.

“Why don’t you come for dinner tomorrow, at ours?” Quinn asked and she seemed to be asking both brunettes. Shelby watched as Rachel nodded and she nodded herself, wanting to learn more about the woman her daughter had become.

“Dinner sounds lovely, thank you.” Shelby smiled at the teenager. It was odd, this girl was half her age but she demanded respect from the way she held herself.

“Here, put your number in my phone and I’ll text you the address.” The blonde smiled and handed her phone over, before returning her attention to the girl in her arms.

Shelby smiled at the picture of the couple that Quinn had set as her lock screen before adding herself as a contact.

“Thank you.” Quinn smiled as she took her phone back. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Goodbye.” Rachel managed weakly.

“Come on little one, let’s get you home.”

Shelby sent the next day worrying what it would be like at Rachel and Quinn’s. Her daughter had obviously felt awkward around her and she didn’t want her to feel that way. Maybe being in her own environment would mean that she was more comfortable. That was the resolution Shelby had as she drove towards Rachel and Quinn’s apartment.

It was Quinn who answered the door, with a smile on her face. “Hi Shelby, come on in.”

The apartment was nice, small but homely. It was decorated with many pictures of the couple and other things such as artwork and Broadway posters.

“Rachel’s at the music store with her friends but she should be home any minute.” Quinn smiled but Shelby noticed that there was an edge to her voice.

“She’s late isn’t she?” Shelby chuckled, looking at the clock.

“Yes, I specifically told her to be home by seven and its seven fifteen. She normally gets a bit carried away at the music store but I hate it when she’s late and we have guests. She can bet she’s going in the corner when she gets home. Oh, sorry! I forgot who I was talking to.” Quinn flushed and Shelby had to smile as she saw the teenage side of the girl come out.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. She can go in the corner if she needs to.” Shelby shrugged, knowing that this was an important part of their society.

“Oh, she definitely needs to. Anyway, can I get you a drink?” Quinn asked, gesturing to the couch to get Shelby to sit.

“Just some water would be lovely, thank you Quinn.” She smiled as the blonde headed into the kitchen. Quinn gave Shelby the glass as they heard the door open and close. It was as Quinn automatically held out an arm for Rachel to run into that Shelby noticed just how pretty the blonde was. In another life she could’ve been Grace Kelly’s daughter; she had that classic American look to her.

Rachel flew into the blonde’s arms, apologies spewing out of her mouth as she talked about her friends and traffic and the rude server in the music store. She was silenced by Quinn holding her hand up.

“Give me your hand.” Quinn stated and for a moment, Shelby was worried that she was going to witness Rachel being hurt. She sighed a sigh of relief internally as Quinn slid her watch from her own pale wrist and slid it onto Rachel’s. “Corner for four minutes, you’re timing.”

With a nod, Rachel moved into the corner and Quinn sat down next to Shelby.

“So Quinn, how old are you?” Shelby asked, trying to strike up conversation. The blonde gave a chuckle as she relaxed into the couch.

“I’m sixteen. Rachel and I are in our junior year.” The blonde explained, her eyes flicking to Rachel.

“Wow, how do you afford this?” The older woman asked, glancing around the rather large apartment.

“We bought the apartment with the money we received as presents for our ceremony. I work at the Forever 21 in the mall and our parents help us out if we’re really struggling but we’re pretty financially stable.” Quinn smiled. “Come on, I’ll show you around.”

Shelby was impressed with the apartment, it was far bigger than anything two sixteen year olds would normally be able to afford and the girls’ loving relationship shined through the décor. Pictures littered the place ranging from photos of their first meeting when they were just eight; all the way through to one Quinn’s father had taken of them on stage the night before.

As they passed back through the living room to the kitchen, Shelby noticed that Rachel seemed slightly unsettled in the corner. Her weight was moving from one foot to the other but as Quinn approached she seemed to slow, stopping when the blonde’s pale hand came to rest on her shoulder. “I’m right here Princess, I wouldn’t leave you like that.”

At Quinn’s words, the brunette settled completely and let them move into the kitchen.

“What’re you cooking?” Shelby asked when she noticed the pots on the stove bubbling away.

“It’s just some pasta, I hope that’s okay.” Quinn smiled as she picked up a wooden spoon to stir the sauce that was bubbling.

“Of course, pasta sounds lovely.” Shelby smiled and the two women made their way back into the living room. Rachel had moved out of the corner and was kneeling on the floor in front of the couch. Quinn glanced at the clock before nodding and helping the girl off the floor. They fell onto the couch and Rachel cuddled into Quinn.

“Anything you’d like to say?” The blonde questioned, her tone firm but she ran her hands soothingly through Rachel’s hair.

“I’m sorry for being late and I’ll be sure to call next time if I know that I won’t make it home in time.” Rachel stated quietly, seeming content in Quinn’s embrace.

“Good girl.” Quinn smiled and Shelby watched the look of pure adoration on the blonde’s face.

“So Shelby, what do you do?” Rachel asked, turning to look at her mother.

“I’m actually a glee club director.” Shelby replied, chuckling at how odd that was.

“Well I hope you’re not going to steal our ideas because we’re headed to Nationals this year.” Quinn joked, winking at Shelby.

“Well… No, of course not but your team is very strong. The dynamics were beautiful.” The older woman told honestly, she had been so impressed with McKinley’s glee club.

“Thank you.” Rachel smiled and asked a few questions about Shelby’s team before the oven beeper went off. Rachel stood to go and deal with it but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder by Quinn.

“I’ll go.” The blonde smiled sweetly and stood, kissing the look of confusion off of Rachel’s face.

“But Miss…” Rachel started but silenced herself when Quinn raised an eyebrow.

“Not tonight Princess, keep talking.” The blonde smiled and headed into the kitchen. The awkward silence from the day before returned and they sat in it, waiting for Quinn to call them through. Both let out a sigh of relief when she did, heading to sit down at the small table in the kitchen.

“Would you like a drink Miss?” Rachel asked, having carried Shelby’s water through and placed it by her spot at the table.

“That would be lovely Princess, thank you.” Quinn smiled warmly at Rachel who went into the fridge and removed a bottle of water before separating it carefully into two glasses. Shelby noticed the precision that she did this with and how she hadn’t needed to ask what drink Quinn wanted.

“Here you are Miss.” She smiled, placing it in front of the girl.

“Mm, thank you beautiful.” Quinn smiled and pecked Rachel’s lips before allowing her to sit down. Not for the first time that night, Shelby felt like she was invading on a very private moment.

Dinner was nice. It felt rather like when your parents drag you along to a business dinner because the babysitter cancelled and you just sit there, feeling rather out of the know. The couple did their best to include Shelby in the conversation but it flowed far easier when it drifted towards the two of them.

“So, when are you headed back to Indiana?” Quinn asked once they’d finished eating.

“I was planning on sticking around for a while actually, if that’s alright with you Rachel?” Shelby asked, addressing the situation for the first time that evening.

“I – I’d like that. It’ll be nice to get to know you better.” Rachel smiled and nodded, biting her bottom lip.

“That’s exactly my intentions. Can I give you my number? Do you have a phone?” Shelby smiled at the teenager who nodded and looked towards Quinn. The blonde nodded and Rachel went into the living room to retrieve her phone.

They exchanged numbers and Shelby said goodnight, heading back to her hotel room. She knew one thing for sure, if she ever really wanted to get to know Rachel, she needed to get her alone. Quinn was far too controlling and it broke Shelby’s heart to see the way her baby girl looked to the blonde for every single decision or action. Rachel was a young woman and Quinn was restricting her choices. Shelby decided she was going to get her baby girl away.

Rachel let out a sigh as the door closed behind Shelby before heading to the living room where Quinn was sat. She sank down onto her knees on the pillow that had been placed by Quinn’s feet and allowed her head to fall into the blonde’s lap.

“She seems nice.” Quinn offered as the start of conversation, running her hand over brown hair that spilled onto her lap like a chocolate fountain.

“I just hate the awkwardness.” Rachel sighed, relaxing fully for the first time that night.

“Well the only way to make that go away is spending more time with her.” Quinn reasoned and Rachel nodded, her mind clearly settled for the first time that night. “Have you done all your homework?”

“Yes Miss.” The brunette chuckled, grateful for the switch in conversation. “Have you done all _your_ homework?”

“I finished it whilst you were out which means, we have some time to kill.” Quinn grinned and scooped Rachel up, carrying her into their bedroom.


	2. Chapter 2

Shelby was livid by the time she got back to her hotel room. She didn’t understand how the two men who had seemed so nice when she first met them had allowed her baby girl, who was only fifteen years old, to enter a relationship where she was completely passive and repressed. Shelby’s heart broke as she remembered all the times that Rachel had looked to Quinn for permission during their short dinner and she saw red when she thought of how Quinn had integrated herself so far into Rachel’s life that the poor girl shook when they were in separate rooms. In Shelby’s mind, there was no doubt as to why the young woman was so emotionally unstable; it was as if she wasn’t allowed to express any emotion at all.

Shelby knew there was only one thing for it. She had to get Rachel away from Quinn and away from Lima. The only question was how?

She thought of all she knew about the girl and formulated a plan. She knew that once she got Rachel away from this repressive regime, she could be free to be the star she wanted to be and Shelby would be there to help her through it all.

::: ::: ::: :::

Rachel smiled as she skipped down the hallway towards Glee the next day at school. She had never felt like anything was missing in her life, she was loved by so many people, but now that her mother was making her way back into her life, Rachel felt like her heart was even fuller.

Waiting outside the choir room for her Miss, Rachel flicked her hair away from her shoulders and pulled out her phone when it vibrated in her pocket. She smiled at Mike who was waiting for Tina and read the message, which was from her mother.

_Shelby: Hi Rachel, I was wondering if you wanted to go and get some ice cream this afternoon just the two of us?_

Rachel smiled widely and texted back quickly. _I would love to but I just need to check with Miss, hope to see you later, I'm done with Glee at 4._

“Who you texting there, little one?” Rachel’s head snapped up as she heard the voice of her Miss. She smiled widely and slid under the offered hand.

“It’s Shelby Miss, she asked if I’d like to go and get ice cream with her after Glee. Can I go?” She asked, looking up at the blonde who had a kind smile on her face.

“Of course you can Princess but remember, you need to be back at home by seven.” Her voice was stern but full of love at the same time. Rachel grinned and leant up to kiss her Miss softly in gratitude. She quickly grabbed her phone and texted Shelby, getting a positive reply, saying that the woman would be there to pick her up at four. Feeling very loved, she sank down to her knees by her mistress’ chair instead of sitting next to her like she normally did in Glee. “Are you alright little one?”

“Yes Miss, I love you.” She smiled, letting her head drop into her Miss’ lap and she sighed as the familiar fingers threaded through her hair.

“I love you too Princess.”

::: ::: ::: :::

Glee zoomed by quickly. Mr Schue spent most of the lesson congratulating them on their performance a few days before and telling them that they were going to smash Regionals. Whilst they all appreciated the confidence boost, the entire club agreed that it wasn’t the best use of time. Finally, the bell rang and they all slowly made their way out to the parking lot, tired from the long day they’d had before.

Shelby sat in her car, watching as the Glee kids slowly trickled out of the building. They all seemed to be in pairs, heading to their cars. She felt so bad for all these children, complete products of their society. It simply didn’t seem right to her that one-half of a population could be allowed to thrive and do what they wished whilst the other half were forced into submission and obedience.

Finally, Quinn and Rachel exited the building. Shelby noticed that Quinn was carrying both their bags whilst Rachel was tucked into her side with a smile on her face. The young girl’s eyes lit up when she saw Shelby and she waved, detaching herself from Quinn. After a few words exchanged between the couple and a kiss that Shelby had to look away from, Rachel was sat in the passenger seat of her car.

“Hi Shelby.” She smiled, putting her seatbelt on and turning towards her mother.

“Hi Rachel, I assume I'm heading for the mall.” She smiled and started the engine, watching the way Rachel stared at Quinn waving goodbye.

“Yes please, there’s a wonderful place that accommodates vegans in the food court.” The starlet grinned and Shelby did as well, directing them towards the mall near where Shelby’s hotel was.

They didn’t talk on the ride over there, just sat in awkward silence. Shelby noted the way in which Rachel methodically fiddled with her necklace and sighed, getting her to forget about Quinn was going to be a long and arduous process but it was one she was willing to take if it meant she got her little girl back.

Finally, they pulled into a parking spot and Shelby grinned over at the fifteen-year-old who smiled in return, less enthusiastically. “Ready?” She asked with a hand on the door. Rachel nodded and climbed out the car, pulling a small purse out of her school bag as she did.

“I’ll pay; you don’t need to worry about that.” Shelby frowned, confused at her necessity for the purse.

“Oh thank you but I’ll still need my ID. The mall is off-limits to the underage and non-claimed. You have an ID, right? You’ll have to prove you’re an outsider.” Rachel explained simply, producing a small ID card out of her purse and handing it to Shelby. The photo on the ID seemed to have been taken rather recently, either that or Rachel hadn’t changed in a long time. She scanned down the information and the lump in her throat grew bigger.

NAME: FABRAY, RACHEL BARBARA   
D.O.B: 12/18/1994  
GENDER: FEMALE  
IDENTIFICATION: SUBMISSIVE  
DOMINANT: FABRAY, QUINN LUCY

“It’s just a precautionary measure but the shops in the mall aren’t entirely friendly for underage and non-claimed children.” The small brunette grinned, taking the ID back but not putting it away.

Rachel was right, as they entered the mall, they were both asked to present identification. Rachel slid through easily but Shelby watched the way she lowered her head as she spoke to the guards. The man in front of them had barged through, having only flashed his ID at the guards and Shelby felt her heart clench once more as she realised the ramifications of the society that Rachel had been brought up in.

The guards asked a few questions, mostly about her relationship with Rachel. Shelby supposed that it must appear slightly strange, an outsider entering a mall full of stores that are not safe for children’s eyes with someone else’s submissive but, as Rachel’s maiden name was not on her ID card, explaining that she was her mother was less complicated than they thought it might be.

Once they were inside the mall, Shelby realised the need for the guards at the door. The mall was full of stores based around the lifestyle and the people walking around the mall were fully embracing it. Shelby’s eyes widened as she looked around at people crawling, being pulled by leashes and walking a step behind their companions, heads lowered. Shelby also noticed the way that Rachel’s eyes stayed lowered as they made their way to the escalator so that the only people she could make eye contact with were the submissives on the floor. Once again, Shelby felt for her daughter and hastened their step to get them to the ice cream parlour as soon as possible. The quicker this pretence of a meeting was done, the quicker Shelby could get Rachel away from this toxic environment and into her own home, where she belonged.

The parlour wasn’t much better though. Everywhere Shelby looked there were submissives kneeling on the floor next to dominants, being completely ignored if not for a pat on the head every so often. As she looked at Rachel more closely, Shelby realised that this wasn’t actually making her uncomfortable; this was just how she’d been taught to act. She was lowering her head in respect for the dominants, not out of fear and Shelby sighed, it was going to be difficult to erase this behaviour from Rachel but she was going to try.

“So Quinn’s alright with you being vegan then?” Shelby asked once they’d gotten their ice creams and settled down at a table.

“Why wouldn’t Miss be alright with it? It’s my decision.” Rachel frowned, lifting the spoon up to her mouth to swallow the chocolate flavoured delight.

“Well you know, aren’t you technically her property? Doesn’t that mean she has a right to dictate stuff like that?” Shelby questioned, truly curious as to how deep Quinn’s control over Rachel went.

“Miss has a right to a certain extent but only if it were affecting my health, which it isn’t.” Rachel shrugged and continued eating, humming slightly as she swallowed another bite. Shelby watched with intrigue as she spotted a couple of her friends over at the other side of the court. She waved at a tall blonde boy who grinned back, asking his companion something before almost skipping over.

“Hi, Rachel!” He grinned and hugged her tightly, causing her to laugh and hug him back.

“Hi Sam, you know I only saw you an hour ago right?” She chuckled but they remained in the embrace.

“Sam! You know the rules; you don’t behave any differently around Rachel than you would if Quinn were here.” A voice commanded behind them and the trio turned to see the girl Sam had turned to for permission before he ran over. Sam snapped back from Rachel and fell to his knees, looking up apologetically at the girl.

“Sorry Mistress.” He blushed but smiled as her hand crept into his hair comfortingly.

“Hello, Rachel.” The girl smiled and Rachel smiled back, although it was less freely than it had been with Sam.

“Good afternoon Mercedes, I trust you found everything you were looking for.” Rachel replied politely, pointing to the bag Mercedes was holding onto.

“I did thank you, are you going to introduce us to your friend?” The dominant asked and Rachel flushed as if remembering Shelby’s presence all of a sudden.

“I so sorry! Mercedes, Sam, this is Shelby, she’s my biological mother. Shelby, this is Mercedes and Sam, we’re all in Glee Club together.” Rachel smiled, still in her polite tone.

“Lovely to meet you.” Shelby smiled at the teenagers who smiled back.

“You too Shelby. We’d best be going Sam, say goodbye.” Mercedes commanding and Shelby winced as the boy did exactly as she asked.

“Bye, Rachel.” He grinned and stood up to hug her quickly before falling back to his knees and following his dominant away.

“What did she mean, when she said about him not treating you any differently just because Quinn isn’t here?” Shelby asked, turning back to Rachel who flushed.

“Oh well, Miss can be quite protective and she doesn’t really like it when I hug someone else for too long for example. That’s all Mercedes meant, Sam was holding on slightly too long and if Miss were here, she most likely would have gotten mad.” Rachel shrugged, explaining it as if it were no big deal.

“And that doesn’t bother you?” Shelby asked, pleading Rachel to show some sort of anger to the situation she was being put in. It just wasn’t healthy in her eyes that a fifteen-year-old couldn’t hug her friends for as long as she’d like.

“Why should it? I express the same sentiments about Miss’ physical contact with other people and she restrains as much as she can as well. It’s not like it’s a completely one-sided thing. I love Miss and Miss loves me. We work.” Rachel smiled and turned back to her ice cream. Shelby felt like screaming but she knew the best thing to do was to get Rachel away from Lima as quickly as possible.

“You wanna go for a drive? I saw something on the way up here that I think you’d really like.” Shelby lied through her teeth, internally jumping for joy when Rachel nodded with a grin.

“I’d love that, but I have to be back home for 7 and I should probably let Miss know where I going so she’s not worried. What is it you want to show me?” She asked with such trust that Shelby almost felt bad but shook her head with a smile, extending her lie.

“Oh it’s just outside of town; you’ll be home way before seven.” She lied again and escorted Rachel out of the mall whilst the young girl texted Quinn. Once they reached the parking lot, Rachel stopped, grinning at Shelby as she showed her phone.

_Miss <3: Okay Princess, have fun. Tell you what, I’ll extend your curfew until eight-thirty and you can show Shelby that wonderful little vegan diner for dinner. Pay with my credit card. I love you Princess and remember what I said last night._

“Sounds awesome.” Shelby grinned, elated that she had slightly more time to get away before they all went into uproar looking for Rachel.

The car ride wasn’t so awkward this time around and Shelby smiled as she chatted to her daughter about show tunes and the Broadway shows she’d been to see. So engrossed in the conversation, Rachel didn’t realise until they were on the interstate that they’d long left Lima behind.

“I thought this place was just outside of town.” She frowned, looking around at the road signs.

“Well, it’s a little way out. It’s New York.” Shelby shrugged and Rachel’s mouth flew open as she gasped.

“A little out of town? You said I’d be home by seven! New York’s a nine-hour drive!” Rachel screamed, pulling out her phone. Before she could text anyone however, Shelby grabbed the pink iPhone and threw it out of the window into the traffic on the other side of the road where it was run over in a few seconds. Rachel cried out as she heard the crunch of her phone under the wheel of a car and tears sprung to her eyes as she realised the potentially dangerous situation she was in.

“We’re not driving, we’re getting a plane and you’re not going back there. You’re going to come and live with me.” Shelby said decisively, turning off of the interstate, towards the airport.

“Live with _you?_ I thought you lived in Indiana?” Rachel cried incredulously, undoing her seatbelt and desperately trying to open the door which Shelby had locked.

“Stop moving, you’re going to get us killed and I do but we can both have a new start in New York.” Shelby explained, trying to stay calm as the young girl screamed and writhed around in the seat next to her.

“This is kidnapping! My whole life is in Lima, my friends, my parents, _Miss._ What is wrong with you? You’re crazy!” Rachel screamed, still moving around and yelling at the top of her lungs. Shelby sighed and pulled over, they were so close to the airport and Shelby was not going to let Rachel mess this up now. Feeling awful, she slapped Rachel round the face.

The young girl stilled in shock, her hand flying up to point where Shelby’s hand had made contact with her face.

“Are you going to sit still and listen now?” A short nod and Shelby sighed. “I don’t like having to do that sweetie but I need you to understand. This is to help you, sweetie. You don’t realise it, you’re a product of your society and your upbringing. It’s toxic sweetie. It’s not fair to you. Don’t you ever wonder what it might be like to be a normal fifteen-year-old? To do normal things with your friends without having to ask someone’s permission? Without having to act a certain way around someone just because a _test_ told them that they’re somehow more important than you?”

“What does a normal fifteen year old do?  Really, what are the normal things I missing out on? Going to the movies, the mall? I do all of those things Shelby and are you seriously telling me that, if you’d raised me, I wouldn’t have to ask _you_ if I wanted to go out?” Rachel pleaded, far more calmly now.

“It’s different Rachel. Asking your parents isn’t the same as asking someone your own age for permission. You don’t understand.” Shelby sighed, running a hand through her hair in stress.

“No, _you_ don’t understand. Miss isn’t keeping tabs on me because she’s overbearing and holds some sort of divine power over me. It’s because she cares about me and wants to know that I safe. She’s never refused me unless we had previous plans.” Rachel retaliated, her voice growing in volume again.

“I don’t want to argue with you sweetie, let’s just go.” Shelby finalised, starting the engine again and beginning the short remainder of the drive to the airport.

“Please Shelby, just take me home. I want to be with Miss, you don’t understand and I don’t think you ever will.” Rachel pleaded, trying a new tactic.

“Just deal with it, Rachel. As far as I concerned, you’re never seeing Quinn again. Might as well take that silly thing off now.” Shelby sighed and reached over; tugging the necklace around Rachel’s neck so the lock at the back broke and the entire thing fell into Shelby’s hand. The clasp was broken beyond repair so Shelby threw it into the cup holder.

Rachel gasped as the necklace that hadn’t left her body for six months was forcibly tugged away from her. She watched helplessly as Shelby carelessly threw it into the cup holder and tears sprung to her eyes as she realised that her last link to Miss was gone. Curling into a ball, she hugged her knees to her chest and sobbed, her heart clenching as she thought of her Miss who wouldn’t even be looking for her for another two and a half hours.

Shelby felt slightly guilty as she looked over at Rachel, sobbing her heart out and desperately clasping at her neck as if the necklace would appear around her neck once more. As least if she was sobbing, she wasn’t yelling and that bode better when they arrived at the airport. All she had to do was guide the crying girl out of the car and through security, answering their intrusive questions with the not complete lie that she was travelling on her first holiday away from her dominant. Rachel was feeling so defeated that she didn’t notice the opportunity to get help and followed where Shelby directed her, not even noticing the plethora of people around her.

::: ::: ::: :::

Quinn was going crazy. She’d given Rachel a half an hour leeway from her curfew but now that she wasn’t picking up her phone, Quinn was going stir-crazy. She knew that this was a time that Rachel needed to bond with Shelby but it was uncharacteristic of her to be so late home after Quinn told her to be. The only place she was ever late from was the music store but she knew that Rachel would have told her if she’d gone to the store, not that it was open at that time of night.

Biting her lip in worry, she tried Rachel’s cell again before calling Leroy.

“Quinn, is everything okay? It’s rather late for you to be calling.” That was what Quinn had always liked about Leroy; he was straight to the point.

“Rachel’s half an hour late and she’s not picking up her phone. This is so unlike her; I don’t know what to do.” Quinn replied, breathing heavily and erratically as she thought of the danger her submissive could be in.

“Okay Quinn, breathe. We’ll find her. Where was she? Did she go out after school?” The father asked and Quinn felt the guilt rise in her at her own actions that had aided this.

“She went to go and get ice cream with Shelby. She then texted me saying that Shelby wanted to show her something just outside of town so I extended her curfew and told her to get dinner with her. God, I’m so stupid!” She cried, falling back onto the sofa.

“Okay, Hiram and I are coming over and we’ll get your parents as well. Log into your account online and see if any payments have been made on Rachel’s card and we’ll go from there. We’ll find her okay? Just calm down.”

Leroy’s voice was soothing and Quinn took a deep breath before saying goodbye and hanging up the phone. She grabbed the laptop from the coffee table logged into her bank account online. There had been no payments made on it since Quinn had used it the day before. She let her head fall into her hands as she prayed that Rachel was okay.

::: ::: ::: :::

Once they touched down in New York, Rachel seemed to come to her senses slightly. She had cried the entire flight but once they made it out of JFK, she realised that crying was not going to get her back to Miss. She needed to take action.

“Help! Help! Let me go!” She called out when Shelby grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into the bathroom. Surprisingly it was empty but Rachel still screamed, hoping she could alert someone outside. She felt Shelby slap her across the face again but didn’t let it shock her, she continued to scream.

“Hey! Hey! Stop it!” Shelby yelled, slapping her once more but with far more force. That got Rachel to be quiet and the small diva turned to look in the mirror where a large red mark was forming on her face. She felt tears spring to her eyes at the pain she felt and she looked back at Shelby.

“Why are you doing this?” She cried, thinking inexplicably of her Miss and the comfort of her arms and kisses.

“Because it’s what’s best for you Rachel. You deserve a life away from being controlled. You’re going to be a star one day and I’m going to help you. Why on earth did you think I chose New York?” Shelby explained, gesturing around the bathroom.

“But I don’t want any of that if it’s without Miss. I need her Shelby, I know you don’t understand it but I feel like I can’t breathe without her. Is that what you want for me? A life filled with pain? Because that’s what you’re giving me if you’re taking me away from her.” Rachel said simply, feeling the tears slide down her face.

“You’re being hyperbolic Rachel, not to mention ridiculous. Dry your eyes and let’s go.” Shelby ordered and Rachel sighed, not knowing what else to do apart from what she was told. She would find a way to get to Miss; she knew that she had to.

::: ::: ::: :::

“We’ll send out an Amber Alert and let you know if we hear anything. Likewise, let us know if she tries to make contact.” The police officer said to the room full of people who nodded.

“Hey, Jake? We may need to widen that Amber Alert. That was the office; they got a call from Columbus Airport. Rachel and Shelby got a flight to New York, landed an hour ago.” Jake’s partner sighed, entering from the hallway.

Quinn looked to her father, tears in her eyes and he pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair. “It’s gonna be okay baby girl, we’ll find her.” Russell said comfortingly, knowing how much it must be killing Quinn to think of Rachel out there, scared.

“Thanks, guys, we appreciate it.” Leroy smiled, standing up from his seat on the couch and shaking the hands of the policemen. Within two minutes of them leaving, five phones sounded, alerting them of the Amber Alert that had just been released.

Quinn started to sob, turning fully into her father’s chest. Russell sighed heavily, pulling the sixteen-year-old onto his lap and holding her tight to him. “Hey, everything’s gonna be okay. Rachel’s the strongest girl I know, she’ll get through this.”

Leroy met Russell’s eyes over Quinn’s head and they nodded at each other, they were going to stop at nothing to find Rachel Fabray.

::: ::: ::: :::

They had ridden the Subway almost to the end of the line and despite her extensive knowledge of the state of New York; Rachel had no idea where they were. That was mostly due to the fact that Shelby had shielded her from reading the subway station signs so she couldn’t work it out.

“I sorted out an apartment. It’s just up here.” Shelby explained with a smile but looking around, Rachel could tell that they weren’t in a good neighbourhood.

“Is this safe?” She asked, shuddering at the fact that the door to the apartment block was wide open.

“Of course, I won’t let you get hurt. Now come on.” Shelby insisted, tugging her up three flights of stairs before finally entering a tiny apartment. It was basically one big room with a kitchen and a door that led off to what Rachel assumed, and hoped, was a bathroom. There was a small couch in the middle of the room and no space for a bed.

“Um, where are we gonna sleep?” She asked, looking around and feeling very scared.

“I’ll take the couch and that is for you.” Shelby smiled, gesturing to a piece of cardboard laid out on the floor with a blanket draped over it. Rachel raised an eyebrow at Shelby incredulously. “Oh I know it isn’t ideal baby but it’s only for a little while, okay?”

“Don’t call me baby.” Rachel flinched, thinking of Miss’ plethora of nicknames for her and she felt tears spring to her eyes.

There was a knock on the door and Shelby rushed to answer it.

“Howdy there ladies, I’m your new neighbour. Name’s John May.” A tall man dressed in a plaid shirt grinned down at Shelby who smiled back at him.

“Hello John, I’m Shelby Corcoran and this is my daughter, Rachel.” Shelby smiled, gesturing to Rachel who wiped her tears with a small smile.

“Pleasure to meet you. Just wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help you two lovely ladies get settled in.” He smiled kindly and Rachel straightened, hoping he could help her.

“Actually, I desperately need to get some food for dinner. Could you keep an eye on Rachel for me? I’d hate to leave her all alone.” Shelby smiled and Rachel frowned. How on earth could this crazy woman think this was a better life for her? She was leaving her alone with a stranger!

“No worries at all Shelby, the young lady and I can get to know each other.” John grinned and Rachel sighed.

“Thanks so much. Oh, one thing, don’t let her use your phone. She thinks it’s funny to call the police and tell them I’ve kidnapped her. Kids, eh?” She joked and grabbed her purse. “Be good for John baby, Mama will be back soon.”

With that Shelby was gone and Rachel was standing in a derelict apartment with a stranger. He fiddled with something on her phone and showed her a picture of herself which had been taken only a few days ago with the words AMBER ALERT printed above it.

“This is you, right kid?” He asked and Rachel nodded, tears filling her eyes. He handed her the phone and a piece of paper. “Call who you need to call. That’s where we are.”

“Thank you.” She cried and clasped the phone as if it were a lifeline. Wiping her tears, she dialled Quinn’s number, having it to memory, and prayed her dominant would pick up.

::: ::: ::: :::

Quinn’s heart was beating fast as she sat in the kitchen, staring at the plate of food her mother had made but not wanting to eat. She jumped when her phone rang and she looked at it for a second before rushing to answer, clutching it tight to her ear.

“M-Miss?” The soft voice came from the other line and Quinn sobbed at the sound of her submissive’s voice.

“It’s me, Princess, are you alright?” She asked, nodding at all four parents who had rushed into the room. They all breathed a sigh of relief and sank into each other’s arms. Leroy grabbed his own phone and called the police, alerting them of this new development.

“I’m okay Miss. I’m so sorry; I didn’t know how to reach you. She threw my phone into traffic and broke my necklace and I just wanted to cry and I didn’t know what to do and she kept slapping me and…” Rachel started breathing heavily and erratically and Quinn just wanted to pull her into her arms and tell her everything was going to be alright.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay Princess. It’s not your fault. I should’ve known we couldn’t trust Shelby. I’m just glad you’re alright. Where are you beautiful?” She asked, trying to keep calm for Rachel’s sake. She grabbed a pen and paper and scribbled down the address Rachel reeled off from the paper John had given her. “Okay, stay where you are, little one. We’ll be there as soon as we can, alright?”

“Okay, Miss. Please come quickly. I love you.” Rachel sobbed and Quinn felt her heart break too.

“I love you too, my little angel.” She replied, settling back into the chair as the tears spilt over.

“I’ve got to go. Shelby’s coming back.” Rachel said and Quinn felt her heart clench at the sound of fear.

“Alright Princess, stay safe. I love you so much.” Quinn heard a sob and then the line went dead. She dropped her head into her hands and sobbed, wanting nothing more than to be able to hold her Princess and tell her everything was okay.

“Russell, can you handle everything here with the police?” Leroy asked and the other father nodded, holding his wife close.

“Of course Leroy, Hiram can stay with us as well.” He nodded diplomatically and Leroy smiled, turning to Quinn.

“Come on then Lioness, you and I are going to New York.”

::: ::: ::: :::

Shelby had come back and John left, with a wink to Rachel who smiled back at him.

“He seems sweet, see baby? Things aren’t gonna be so bad here after all.” Shelby said with a wide smile in Rachel’s direction who shrugged, not wanting to give anything away.

“Hey, Shelby? I think I’m gonna take a nap. I’m really tired from all the crying.” She suggested, looking down at the piece of cardboard on the floor.

“Okay but maybe you could think about calling me Mom, baby? I’d really like it.” The woman grinned and Rachel shrugged again, trying to repress the sick feeling that was rising up from her stomach. She lay down on the piece of cardboard and pulled the blanket over her, shutting her eyes so Shelby would think she was asleep. She thought of Miss and her arms, wanting nothing more than to be in their bed again.

::: ::: ::: :::

They touched down in New York very quickly. The police force had allowed them to use a private jet in order for them to be there to calm Rachel down as soon as possible. Quinn was anxious and fiddling with her nails constantly when they finally opened the doors and allowed them off the craft.

The dominant immediately checked her phone and saw that she had three missed calls from her father.

“Daddy?” She asked when he picked up, nodding at Leroy who smiled reassuringly.

“Hiya baby girl, they said they’re heading to the location now and Rachel should be in their custody within half an hour. They told me that they’re gonna take you to the police station but by the time you get there, she’ll probably already be there.” Russell explained, knowing that his daughter would want the facts and nothing more.

“Okay, thanks, Daddy. I love you.” She told him with a smile.

“Love you too baby girl, stay safe.” He replied before Quinn hung up.

Leroy and the blonde were ushered into a police vehicle and were driven to the police station closest to the location Rachel had detailed.

::: ::: ::: :::

Meanwhile, Rachel had actually fallen asleep on the uncomfortable piece of cardboard, utterly exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster she’d experienced.

She was entirely disorientated when she woke up to the sound of shouting in an unusual place. With a groan, she sat up and saw Shelby arguing with two policemen who were attempting to restrain the woman.

“Hi there, are you Rachel Fabray?” A third policeman asked, slowly approaching Rachel and bending down to talk to her. Rachel nodded, not knowing what to say and the policeman smiled. “My name’s Officer Jackson. Could you come with me? There are a lot of people who love you that are dying to see you.”

He was very kind towards her and Rachel smiled with a nod, pushing herself up onto her feet. “Am I going to have to fly back to Ohio by myself?” She asked quietly, looking at the officer who smiled at her.

“One of your fathers and a lovely young lady named Quinn are at the local police office but I think you may know her as Miss?” He smiled at her, remaining calm as she felt her heart skip slightly.

“Miss and Papa?” She asked excitedly and the officer had to grin at her excitement.

“Yup, shall we get you to them then?” He asked and she nodded with a grin.

“Hang on, what’s going to happen to her?” Rachel asked, looking over at where the other two officers were putting Shelby in handcuffs but she wasn’t going lightly.

“SHE’S MY DAUGHTER! I HAVE AS MUCH OF A RIGHT AS THEM! I WHAT’S BEST FOR HER!” She was yelling and Rachel shuddered, looking away.

“You don’t need to worry about that Rachel, let’s just get you to your loved ones.” He said to her calmly and led her out of the building.

::: ::: ::: :::

 “Where the hell is she? RACHEL?!” Quinn yelled, looking around the station frantically. Her heart broke at the sight of her princess asleep on a couch in the corner of the station. That girl deserved the world on a silver platter covered in gold stars; there was no way in Quinn’s mind that she should ever have anything but the best of the best. The brunette had shot up at the sound of her name and tears filled her eyes at the sight of her. She jumped up and almost flew into Quinn’s arms, knocking the blonde back onto the floor in the process. Both girls were crying, grasping onto each other for dear life.

“ _Miss._ ” Rachel cried, completely overwhelmed at the fact that Quinn was there, in her arms after what felt like such a long period of thinking she’d never see her again.

“Shh, it’s okay Princess, I here little one. I not going anywhere beautiful. You’re safe baby, I here.” Quinn shushed her, stroking her long hair softly and kissing her all over her face. Her eyes landed on the obvious red mark on her cheek and, knowing that it wasn’t the time to bring it up despite the red hot flare of anger in her chest, kissed it gently.

“I’m so sorry, I should have called you earlier, and I should have found a way.” Rachel sobbed into Quinn’s shoulder, holding onto her dominant so tightly that Quinn knew she was going to leave marks but couldn’t bring herself to care. She was here, in her arms, and that was all that mattered.

“It’s not your fault, never your fault. This is all on her Princess. I’m so sorry I trusted her so much.” Quinn cried, rubbing her back soothingly.

“Girls.” Two heads snapped up at the sound of Officer Jackson’s voice. “Let’s take this somewhere more private.”

They nodded and Quinn helped Rachel up, tucking her under her arm as they followed the officer through to a side room where Leroy was waiting.

“Songbird.” He smiled calmly and she flew into his arms, seeking comfort from her father’s embrace.

“Hi, Papa.” She smiled, hugging him tighter when she felt him kiss her hair.

“Girls, we need to get a statement from Rachel.” Officer Jackson smiled, looking at Quinn who frowned.

“Can’t that wait? She’s obviously tired. She was asleep when I got here, not in a private room I might add. Surely an interrogation can wait until she’s slept and is feeling better.” Quinn said angrily, turning to Officer Jackson with her infamous HBIC glare. The officer actually recoiled for a moment under the intensity of her gaze.

“We need her statement as soon as possible so that we can move this investigation along as quickly as we can and you all get justice.” The officer replied, sticking to his guns despite the obvious protectiveness.

“It’s okay Miss. I completely understand. Could Miss stay? And Papa?” Rachel asked nervously, sliding under Quinn’s arm once more. The dominant relaxed and turned to look at the tiny diva with a concerned look.

“Of course Rachel, let’s all take a seat.” He smiled and gestured to the two sofas. Leroy and Quinn sank down opposite the officer but Rachel bit her lip for a moment before sinking down onto her knees next to Quinn.

“Princess, not here, alright? Not now. We need to have this conversation as equals.” Quinn requested, catching her arms before she could sink down fully.

“Please, Miss. I need this.” She pleaded her eyes wide as she gazed at Quinn.

“Rachel…” She sighed, sympathetically looking at Rachel who had her eyes full of tears.

“Miss. I need to be comfortable for this. On my knees is where I feel most comfortable. It’s my place, by your side. I need this, please. I need to feel like your good girl.” She cried, tears spilling out her eyes that Quinn was quick to softly wipe away.

“You are my good girl. You will always be my good girl Princess.” Quinn reassured her, clasping her Princess’ beautiful face in her hands.

“Please Miss, let me kneel for you.” Rachel cried, clutching Quinn’s knees. The dominant nodded and released the submissive that immediately fell into her most comfortable position, her head resting on Quinn’s knees as she looked at the officer. Quinn sighed and wiped her own tears before threading her fingers through Rachel’s long, thick hair, gaining comfort from the familiar position.

“Alright Rachel, can you tell me how you ended up where we found you?” Officer Jackson asked, smiling down at Rachel.

“She collected me from school and we went to the mall to get ice cream.” Rachel started and relayed the entire experience to the officer, only breaking down once when she detailed how Shelby had broken her necklace.

“Thank you, Rachel, you’re free to go but if this goes to court, we will need you to testify.” The officer explained and Rachel nodded, relaxing back into the feeling of being in her favourite position.

“I understand. Thank you.” She smiled and turned to grin up at Quinn who smiled sadly down at her, brushing her hair away from her face.

“Ready to go Princess?” She asked with a caring tone. Rachel nodded and both girls stood, Rachel wrapping her arms around Quinn’s waist. Quinn reciprocated with an arm around her shoulder as they approached the officer. “Thank you so much.” Quinn smiled and Officer Jackson was taken aback at the maturity both girls were exuding.

“You’re so welcome. Stay safe, both of you.” He smiled and shook Quinn’s hand before gesturing to Rachel for a fist bump which was gladly given with a giggle.

“Come on Songbird, let’s get you to a hotel and then we’ll call Daddy, Russell and Judy. Here’s hoping Russell hasn’t killed your Daddy yet.” Leroy joked and the girls chuckled, following him out of the room and the station.

::: ::: ::: :::

Shelby was found guilty but Rachel was insistent she didn’t go to prison. She faced a steep fine and a restraining order for both the Berry men, Quinn and Rachel.

The girls didn’t like to talk about the incident but Quinn found she held her submissive slightly tighter whenever she walked through the door after what had happened and Rachel was even more protective of her replacement necklace. She also found herself checking that Miss was there more than she had before. It was like a reflex for her now.

“Miss?” Rachel asked when they were eating dinner one night a few months after the incident.

“What’s up little one?” Quinn asked with a smile, reaching out to entwine their hands.

“I love you.” She smiled and Quinn felt her heart melt slightly at the look of utter devotion on her submissive’s face.

“I love you too my little gold star, more than you’ll ever know.”


End file.
